Passover

Dustin and I have been leading Sunday School at Theophilus Bible Church for the last 8 weeks.  This past Sunday was our last lesson for this session, The Old and New Testament Connection.  And we saved the best for last!  This lesson is all about the intricate details that connect the Jewish Passover to the death of Jesus.  We compiled information from several sources including Pastor Mark Biltz and GotQuestions.org.  I hope you will read it, and spend time looking up the verses.  Really reflect on our God's perfect timing.  It will amaze you!  This lesson was meant to be discussed, so feel free to write with any questions or comments.

Easter is such a precious time.  It should renew our awe of what our Savior did for us.  It is a time to reflect on God’s unspeakable plan to reconcile us to himself, so we can have a relationship with him and be grafted into his family.  Many of us understand the basic connection between Passover and Jesus’s death on the cross.  In the last year or so, we have learned that our God is a God of details, and he did not leave a detail out as he planned our redemptive story.  We hope this lesson strengthens your faith, and thrills your heart, the way it does ours.  We find this amazing!!!  It is the ultimate Old Testament / New Testament connection.  We truly saved the best connection for last!

Let’s start with the basics…Let’s read Exodus 12.

Question: "What is the Passover Lamb? How is Jesus our Passover Lamb?"

Answer: The Passover lamb was the animal God directed the Israelites to use as a sacrifice in Egypt on the night God struck down the firstborn sons of every household (Exodus 12:29). This was the final plague God issued against Pharaoh, and it led to Pharaoh releasing the Israelites from slavery (Exodus 11:1). After that fateful night, God instructed the Israelites to observe the Passover Feast as a lasting memorial (Exodus 12:14).

God instructed every household of the Israelite people to select a year-old male lamb without defect (Exodus 12:5; cf. Leviticus 22:20-21). The head of the household was to slaughter the lamb at twilight, taking care that none of its bones were broken, and apply some of its blood to the tops and sides of the doorframe of the house. The lamb was to be roasted and eaten (Exodus 12:7-8). God also gave specific instructions as to how the Israelites were to eat the lamb, “with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand (Exodus 12:11; cf. Ephesians 6:14). In other words, they had to be ready to travel.

God said that when He saw the lamb’s blood on the doorframe of a house, He would “pass over” that home and not permit “the destroyer” (Exodus 12:23) to enter. Any home without the blood of the lamb would have their firstborn son struck down that night (Exodus 12: 12-13).

The New Testament establishes a relationship between this prototypical Passover lamb and the consummate Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 5:7). The prophet John the Baptist recognized Jesus as “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29), and the apostle Peter links the lamb without defect (Exodus 12:5) with Christ, whom he calls a “lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:19). Jesus is qualified to be called One “without blemish” because His life was completely free from sin (Hebrews 4:15). In Revelation, John the apostle sees Jesus as “a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain” (Revelation 5:6). Jesus was crucified during the time that the Passover was observed (Mark 14:12).

The Bible says believers have symbolically applied the sacrificial blood of Christ to their hearts and thus have escaped eternal death (Hebrews 9:12, 14). Just as the Passover lamb’s applied blood caused the “destroyer” to pass over each household, Christ’s applied blood causes God’s judgment to pass over sinners and gives life to believers (Romans 6:23).

As the first Passover marked the Hebrews’ release from Egyptian slavery, so the death of Christ marks our release from the slavery of sin (Romans 8:2). As the first Passover was to be held in remembrance as an annual feast, so Christians are to memorialize the Lord’s death in communion until He returns (1 Corinthians 11:26).

The Old Testament Passover lamb, although a reality in that time, was a mere foreshadowing of the better and final Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ. Through His sinless life and sacrificial death, Jesus became the only One capable of giving people a way to escape death and a sure hope of eternal life (1 Peter 1:20-21).

- From www.gotquestions.org

Now let’s look even deeper into the “final Passover Lamb” and God’s intricate details…

The Hebrew word for feast is moed, which means “divine appointment”.  God planned some very specific days that he would choose to intersect human history.  God told Moses in Leviticus 23 that there were several feasts that he wanted the Jewish people to celebrate each year.  He told Moses exactly how each feast was to be celebrated.  We see the words “holy convocation” to describe what God wanted on those days, but the Hebrew word is Mikra, which can be translated, “dress rehearsal”.

God has a master plan…a clock…a calendar.  We know some of his very special days, because he set them apart as Jewish feast days.  There are spring feasts, which were fulfilled with Jesus’s first coming, and fall feasts which have yet to be fulfilled.  A strong case can be made that these feast days will be fulfilled with his second coming, but that is another lesson. 

Spring Feasts

Passover – Jesus was crucified

Feast of Unleavened Bread – Jesus was buried

Feast of First Fruits – Jesus rose from the dead

Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) - The Holy Spirt came to believers

Fall Feasts

Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) - ??? 

Israel’s National Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) - ???

Feast of Tabernacles - ???

Just think:  every year for 1500 years Jews went through the “dress rehearsal” of killing the Passover lamb at 3:00 in the afternoon on Passover.  And our Lord died on Passover, not in July or December, but on Passover at 3:00 in the afternoon!  The Jews had been rehearsing for 1500 years by going through the motions God wanted for the day his son died on the cross.  In Revelation 13:8 it says Jesus had been slain since the foundation of the world.  This was all planned ahead of time.  God didn’t say, “Oh no, my son was killed…Plan B is to resurrect him.”  God planned this from the foundation of the world. 

God even had his son’s funeral songs prepared ahead of time.  God inspired David to write the songs he wanted.  We find them in Psalms.  The Jews sing many Psalms to celebrate feast days.  Matthew 23:30 tells us that at the end of the Last Supper Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn and then went to the Mount of Olives.  We can know what hymn they sang, because it was the same one all Jews sang at that point of Passover.  They would have sung the Hallel which is David’s Psalms 113-118.  That night they would have sang the words from Psalm 118:22-24, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.  The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.”  How amazing is that?! 

At 9 AM the following day is the time of the morning sacrifice.  That is the hour the Priests would have bound the Passover lamb to the horns of the alter in the Temple.  At that very hour, 9 AM, according to Mark 15:25, Jesus was being bound to the cross.  At the very moment the Passover lamb was bound to the alter, they crucified our Lord.  Unbelievable!  And Jews all throughout Jerusalem would have been singing Psalm 118:27 at that moment, “God is the LORD, which has showed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.”

According to Matthew 27:45, from noon until 3:00 PM, darkness came over all the land.  At this same time the Jews would have still been signing the Hallel.  Josephus was a Jewish historian who lived at that time.  He said there were 2 million Jews in Jerusalem that day to celebrate Passover.  That means there was a 2 million-man choir singing songs aloud as Jesus was dying on the cross.  They would have been singing Psalm 118:16 “The Lord’s right hand is lifted high; the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things.” What a picture!

Matthew, Mark, and Luke each record that Jesus died about "the ninth hour" (Matthew 27:45-50, Mark 15:34-37, Luke 23:44-46).  The ninth hour is 3:00 PM.  That is the precise time the Jewish priests would have killed the Passover lamb for the evening sacrifice.…God’s perfect timing is unbelievable!

- Much of this information comes form Pastor Mark Biltz

Question:  Was the Passover lamb slaughtered at the Temple before the crucifixion of the Messiah took place?

Answer: The answer to this question is both yes and no. It should be kept in mind that there is a distinction between the first night of Passover and the first day of Passover. It is on the first night of Passover that all of the Jewish families eat the Passover meal, and Yeshua (Jesus) ate His last Passover meal on the first night of Passover. That is when He inaugurated the communion service. The next morning was the first day of Passover and at nine o'clock in the morning there was a special Passover sacrifice of which only the priesthood could eat. Yeshua was nailed to the cross on the first day of Passover at nine o'clock in the morning, which was the same time that the special Passover sacrifice was being offered up.

In the biblical practice, the lamb that was to be killed for the Passover was set aside on the tenth of the month of Nisan. It was then tested from the tenth day until the fourteenth day of that month to make sure that it was without spot and without blemish. On the fourteenth day the lamb was killed for the Passover meal. The next morning there was another lamb that was used as the Passover sacrifice for the nation of Israel. According to Exodus 12:46, the offering was slaughtered in a way that no bone of this lamb was to be broken.

Yeshua set Himself aside as the Passover Lamb. It occurred on the tenth day of the month, the same day that the physical animal was set aside. From the tenth day until the fourteenth day of the month, Yeshua was tested by the Pharisees, by the Sadducees, by the Scribes, and by the Herodians. By answering all of their objections and questions, He showed that He was without spot and without blemish. Yeshua ate the Seder meal on the first night of the Passover, the same night that all the Jewish people ate it, the fourteenth of Nisan. Yeshua died on the first day of Passover. He was crucified at nine o'clock in the morning and it was at nine o'clock in the morning that the special Passover sacrifice was offered in the Temple compound. Just as the Jews were very careful to make sure that not a single bone of the Passover lamb was broken, John 19:36 points out that not a single bone of Yeshua was broken either — not during the course of the crucifixion itself, nor by the Roman soldiers at the end of it all.

- From www.ariel.org

On the road to Emmaus we saw the two followers of Christ amazed when Jesus showed them that he was all through the Old Testament.  We have had discussions during Sunday School about Messianic Jews who have had their eyes opened to HaMashiach Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, they suddenly see all of the clues pointing to him through the Tanakh, Jewish Scriptures. 

We hope these last 8 lessons have served as your own Road to Emmaus.  We hope they have helped you see that the Old and New Testaments are very much one book, and Jesus is present from the very beginning.  God bless your continued journey, and may he give you eyes to see, ears to hear, and a mind to understand more and more of His precious Word!  Amen!

On Our Road to Emmaus

We are beginning a Sunday School series about the connections between the Old and New Testament.  Often, people view these two books very differently.  They doubt the truth of the stories and scoff at the wrath of God in the Old Testament.  Yet they embrace the forgiveness of Christ in the New Testament.  We would argue, you can't have it both ways.  Either the entire Bible is the Word of God and totally and completely true, or we cannot depend on the sacrifice and forgiveness of Jesus to forgive our sins.  We cannot pick and choose what we like about the Bible, because there is no guarantee the things we chose are eternally true.  We must accept all that God said, or none of it.  As C.S. Lewis wrote, Jesus was either who he said he was, the Son of God and the ONLY way to eternal life, or he was a madman and liar.  It doesn't work both ways. In this series we will attempt to show how Jesus was present in the Old Testament and the direct correlation between both parts of Holy Scripture.  We pray this study will strengthen your walk with Christ.  Please write to me with any questions or comments. Because this is a Sunday School lesson, it is meant to be discussed.

Old and New Testament Connection Week 1:

“On our road to Emmaus”

TBC Sunday School

 January 11, 2015

 Tenille & Dustin Shrock

“I believe that the Holy Spirit is indispensable for an interpreter's reaching a correct interpretation of the text. The Spirit must work in the interpreter's heart so that he or she welcomes the biblical message that one's egotistic, sinful heart otherwise hates with a vengeance.” – Dr. Daniel Fuller author of The Unity of the Bible

Let’s pray for eyes to see, ears to hear, and a mind to understand what God's Word says…

Lets’ talk about common criticisms of the Bible, particularly the Old Testament…

Let’s face it…sometimes it is difficult to believe those old testament stories, because things seem so different than what we see around us today.  What should we do when we come across something that we find difficult to believe? 

Hebrews 11:6     Matthew 17:20     John 20:24-29

 Let's read how David Limbaugh views the unity of the Bible...

David Limbaugh: The Bible: Product Of A Divine Conspiracy

In my new book, "Jesus on Trial," I explain how the Bible itself serves as its own apologetic. Holy Scripture, if we'll give it a chance, can bring us to faith. So one of the main goals I have with my book is to encourage people to crack open this amazing book and give it a chance to work in their lives. They may be surprised.

"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17). "From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15).

I must say that I didn't always have this high opinion of the Bible. When I was a young lawyer, in my skeptical days, I was visiting my friend Peter Kinder, now Missouri lieutenant governor, at Christmastime. He had brought some of his law school classmates home to stay at his parents' home during the Christmas break.

Peter, his friend Steve Springer and I were sitting around the fireplace discussing various things, when the subject of Christianity came up; I can't remember who initiated the discussion. I allowed as how I did not buy into Christianity and wasn't at all sure about Christ's divinity, among other things.

Steve - who was a devout believer, as it turned out - surprised me. He didn't fit my stereotypical image of Christians at the time. Had I known he was a strong believer, I would have expected him to wag his finger at me and scold me for my irreverence, but he did just the opposite. (By the way, this is no slam on Christians; it's just the impression I had at the time of many of them, and I was wrong.)

Steve responded patiently and graciously. It was as if he knew, intuitively, what Christian apologist extraordinaire Ravi Zacharias now teaches his students. It is just as important, says Zacharias, that the evangelist focus on the questioner as it is that he focus on his questions. In other words, really pay attention to the person you’re talking to, and try to meet him where he is. Don't just give him some bullet points about the validity of the Christian faith; otherwise, your words are very likely to have no effect.

Steve didn't rebuke me for questioning Christ's divinity or for doubting certain doctrinal teachings. He just quietly excused himself from the conversation for a few moments, went to his guest bedroom, retrieved his Bible and returned.

At the appropriate time - without being overbearing, judgmental or arrogant - he simply opened up that brown leather-covered book and walked me through certain passages of Scripture. He then pointed out how these passages were linked to other passages that spoke to the same subject. As far as I know, it was the first time I'd ever been introduced to a reference Bible.

Lights went off. I know, I know - it's embarrassing how ignorant I was. I didn't realize the extent to which the Bible - Old Testament and New Testament - was wholly integrated. It truly fascinated me and piqued my interest. Intuiting my interest, Steve gave me that Bible on the spot.

I didn't become a believer immediately as a result of Steve's enlightening gesture. But he had planted a critically important seed for my spiritual journey, which would later bear fruit.

Steve had no earthly idea the impact he had on me. I know that for a fact because when he was visiting Peter many years later, the two of them came by my house to see me. While we were all sitting at the table catching up, I excused myself from the room, went to my library, retrieved that very Bible and returned to the room. I told the story of how important this moment, some 20 years ago, had been in my life. Steve was moved and, I believe, quite gratified.

This incident should be encouraging to Christians. Don't ever assume that your evangelism is having no impact just because you see no immediate evidence of it. Not everyone's conversion is the result of some "lightning bolt" epiphany. It often happens gradually and over an extended period of time.

Steve's particular approach to me has also been very significant because one of the most compelling proofs to me of Christianity's truth claims is the marvelous unity of Scripture, to which Steve initially exposed me.

I am so moved by the unity of the Bible that I devoted a chapter to the subject in my book. As many know, the Bible was written over a period of some 1,500 years by 40 different authors, writing in different languages and different geographical locations. Yet the themes, the moral lessons and God's revelation about his nature are consistent throughout. It's as if it were the product of a conspiracy.

But how can that be? Most of the Bible writers didn't even know one another. Well, it can be because the true author of the Bible is God. It was a conspiracy, all right, but not by human hands. It was a divine conspiracy.

 (We highly recommend David Limbaugh's new book Jesus on Trial.)

Before we can study the connections between the two parts of Scripture, we must agree the entire Bible is the Word of God, true from beginning to end…but how do we know?

From GotQuestions.org:

There are both internal and external evidences that the Bible is truly God’s Word.

1.   Its unity - Even though it is really sixty-six individual books, written on three continents, in three different languages, over a period of approximately 1500 years, by more than 40 authors who came from many walks of life, the Bible remains one unified book from beginning to end without contradiction. This unity is unique from all other books and is evidence of the divine origin of the words which God moved men to record.

2.  Its prophecies - The Bible contains hundreds of detailed prophecies relating to the future of individual nations including Israel, certain cities, and mankind. Other prophecies concern the coming of One who would be the Messiah, the Savior of all who would believe in Him. Unlike the prophecies found in other religious books or those by men such as Nostradamus, biblical prophecies are extremely detailed. There are over three hundred prophecies concerning Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. Not only was it foretold where He would be born and His lineage, but also how He would die and that He would rise again. There simply is no logical way to explain the fulfilled prophecies in the Bible other than by divine origin. There is no other religious book with the extent or type of predictive prophecy that the Bible contains.

And today we live in the unique generation that is seeing the future prophecies of Revelation (as well as many other books of the Bible) coming to fruition right before our eyes. –Tenille J

3.  Its unique authority and power - The Bible’s authority is unlike any other book ever written. This authority and power are best seen in the way countless lives have been transformed by the supernatural power of God’s Word. Drug addicts have been cured by it, hardened criminals reformed by it, sinners rebuked by it, and hate turned to love by it. The Bible does possess a dynamic and transforming power that is only possible because it is truly God’s Word.

4.  Its accurate history - Because the Bible details historical events, its truthfulness and accuracy are subject to verification like any other historical document. Through both archaeological evidences and other writings, the historical accounts of the Bible have been proven time and time again to be accurate and true. In fact, all the archaeological and manuscript evidence supporting the Bible makes it the best-documented book from the ancient world. The fact that the Bible accurately and truthfully records historically verifiable events is a great indication of its truthfulness when dealing with religious subjects and doctrines and helps substantiate its claim to be the very Word of God.

5.  Its integrity of its human authors - As mentioned earlier, God used men from many walks of life to record His words. In studying the lives of these men, we find them to be honest and sincere. The fact that they were willing to die often excruciating deaths for what they believed testifies that these ordinary yet honest men truly believed God had spoken to them. The men who wrote the New Testament and many hundreds of other believers (1 Corinthians 15:6) knew the truth of their message because they had seen and spent time with Jesus Christ after He had risen from the dead. Seeing the risen Christ had a tremendous impact on them. They went from hiding in fear to being willing to die for the message God had revealed to them. Their lives and deaths testify to the fact that the Bible truly is God’s Word.

6.  Its indestructibility- Because of its importance and its claim to be the very Word of God, the Bible has suffered more vicious attacks and attempts to destroy it than any other book in history. From early Roman Emperors like Diocletian, through communist dictators and on to modern-day atheists and agnostics, the Bible has withstood and outlasted all of its attackers and is still today the most widely published book in the world.

Throughout time, skeptics have regarded the Bible as mythological, but archeology has confirmed it as historical. Opponents have attacked its teaching as primitive and outdated, but its moral and legal concepts and teachings have had a positive influence on societies and cultures throughout the world. It continues to be attacked by pseudo-science, psychology, and political movements, yet it remains just as true and relevant today as it was when it was first written. It is a book that has transformed countless lives and cultures throughout the last 2000 years. No matter how its opponents try to attack, destroy, or discredit it, the Bible remains; its veracity and impact on lives is unmistakable. The accuracy which has been preserved despite every attempt to corrupt, attack, or destroy it is clear testimony to the fact that the Bible is truly God’s Word and is supernaturally protected by Him. It should not surprise us that, no matter how the Bible is attacked, it always comes out unchanged and unscathed. After all, Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Mark 13:31). After looking at the evidence, one can say without a doubt that, yes, the Bible is truly God’s Word.

We need to get away from viewing the Old Testament and New Testament as two separate books.  If we search for the connections, our faith will be strengthened and our walk with God will become more amazing, as we see how he crafted his Word to reveal who he is, and is crafting our life to bring us closer to him, and ultimately to live with him in a perfect eternity.

Let’s read Luke 24:13-35 The Road to Emmaus.

In this story two disciples are walking along the road discussing how Jesus, the one they thought was the Messiah, was killed, buried and then his body disappeared.  As they are talking, much like we would discuss a tragedy that had recently happened in our town, the resurrected Jesus appears to them.  They do not recognize him, but go on to tell him this crazy story about Jesus.  Jesus then explains that they should have known the Messiah would be crucified, buried, and resurrected.  He explains all of the Old Testament Scripture that have predicted what would happen to him and he shows them all of the stories that pointed to him as the Christ.  The men are amazed.  They do not want him to leave, in fact they invite him to eat with them.  He accepts their invitation, and just as he is breaking bread, he opens their eyes and they recognize him...and then he disappears.  The men are overcome with joy, and run to tell their friends that it is true!  Jesus is risen and he is the one true Lord...and all of the Old Testament pointed to him.

What can we learn from this story?

1.  Jesus met the men on the road, right where they were...confused.  He meets us where we are and will teach and guide us.  

2.  Once the men had a little time with Jesus, they didn't want him to leave.  When we experience quality time with the Lord, we will want more and more.

3.  In time, Jesus opened the eyes of the men to the truth.  If we seek and trust him, he will help us understand the things that are confusing in Scripture.

4.  When the men realized it was Jesus, they couldn't wait to run and tell their friends.  When we have experienced a personal relationship with Jesus, and we begin to grow, learn and experience his blessings, we will want to run and tell those we love!

***Next week we will look at how the story of creation and Adam and Eve connect to the New Testament.  If you would like to, read Genesis 1-3.

Holy Angels and Fallen Angels: A Spiritual Battle

Here is a lesson my husband and I prepared for Sunday School at Theophilus Bible Church.

Holy Angels and Fallen Angels:  A Spiritual Battle

TBC Sunday School ~ November 9, 2014 ~ Tenille & Dustin Shrock

Much information comes from Ron Rhodes' book Angels Among Us.

“The Reverend John G. Paton, pioneer missionary in the New Hebrides (heb-ra-dees) Islands, told a thrilling story involving the protective care of angels. Hostile natives surrounded his mission headquarters one night, intent on burning the Patons out and killing them. John Paton and his wife prayed all during that terror-filled night that God would deliver them. When daylight came they were amazed to see that, unaccountably, the attackers had left. They thanked God for delivering them.

A year later, the chief of the tribe was converted to Jesus Christ, and Mr. Paton, remembering what had happened, asked the chief what had kept him and his men from burning down the house and killing them. The chief replied in surprise, "Who were all those men you had with you there?" The missionary answered, "There were no men there; just my wife and I." The chief argued that they had seen many men standing guard - hundreds of big men in shining garments with drawn swords in their hands. They seemed to circle the mission station so that the natives were afraid to attack. Only then did Mr. Paton realize that God had sent His angels to protect them. The chief agreed that there was no other explanation. Could it be that God had sent a legion of angels to protect His servants, whose lives were being endangered?” (From Billy Graham’s book Angels.)

 Why Study Angels?

         Angels are mentioned over 250 times in the Bible, in 34 books from Genesis to Revelation.

         Often what is mentioned about angels is implicitly stated in the context of a story.  We must keep that in mind, and know that some issues about angels are not clear and often debated by scholars.  We must never build our theology on parts of the Bible that are difficult to understand, but view them in light of what the Bible says clearly.  These issues are not “deal breakers”.  It is valuable to study, however, because it opens our eyes to the spiritual world around us, that has more influence on our lives than we may realize.

A little confusing?

Angel comes from the Greek word for messenger.

Angels go by many names in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament.  Here are a few:  heavenly hosts, sons of God, holy ones, morning stars, cherubim, seraphim, ministering spirits, watchers, fallen angels, demons.

We also see specific angels mentioned.  Some of these include:  Michael (an archangel of high rank; who is a soldier), Gabriel (less powerful; a messenger), Lucifer or Satan (maybe the most powerful angel; was thrown out of heaven taking 1/3 of the angels with him), Prince of Persia (the evil spirit in Daniel).

Angels Attributes and Purpose

         *God does not need angels, but he made them and uses them for his glory. (Hebrews 1:7)

         *They have personalities and emotions. (Luke 2 1:-13, Matthew 8:29, James2:19,)

         *Angels can’t sin. (Revelation 21:4, 27)

         *They are very powerful, but not omnipresent or omniscient. (Matthew 4, Matthew 24:36)

         *They have a beginning.  Jesus Christ created them himself. (Colossians 1:16, Job 38:4-7)

         *They are invisible, but can take on physical form when they need to. (Hebrews 13:2)

         *They do not get sick or die. (Luke 20:36)

*They are very wise. (Revelation 12:12)

         *They are joyful. (Luke 15:10)

         *They reside in heaven, but descend to earth when sent on missions to help us. (Hebrew 1:14)

         *They can move very fast from one location to another and are very powerful. (1 Chronicles 21:15)

         *They have ranks and different jobs. (Ephesians 6:12)

Angel’s Work

They praise God. (Psalm 148:1-2; Isaiah 6:3)

They worship God. (Hebrews 1:6; Revelation 5:8-13)

They rejoice in what God does. (Job 38:6-7)

They serve God. (Psalm 103:20; Revelation 22:9)

They appear before God. (Job 1:6; 2:1)

They are instruments of God's judgments. (Revelation 7:1; 8:2)

They bring answers to prayer. (Acts 12:5-10)

They aid in winning people to Christ. (Acts 8:26; 10:3)

They observe Christian order, work, and suffering. (1 Corinthians 4:9; 11:10; Ephesians 3:10; 1 Peter 1:12)

They rescue and protect God’s children. (Psalm 91:11-12)

They encourage in times of danger. (Acts 27:23-24)

They care for the righteous at the time of death. (Luke 16:22)

(From Got Questions.org)

The coolest thing about angels is that they have known Jesus since he created them, and they have witnessed the entire story of salvation.  They are amazed by humans and are constantly learning from us about what it means to worship God in a fallen state.

The scariest thing about angels is that the fallen ones are ruling our world today.  They have just as much power as the holy angels (taking God out of the equation, of course).  Satan knows his time is short, and he knows the end of the story, so he wants to take as many humans with him to hell as he can.  He disguises himself as an angel of light.  What are we to do? 

Ephesians 6

Paul wrote this around 60AD to the Gentile church.  He was likely writing it from a Roman prison.  It was meant to be an encouraging letter reminding them that since they now belong to Christ, they must start living their lives differently. They need to distance themselves from immorality and strive for spiritual purity. It’s in the context of this discussion that he uses the famous metaphor of the “armor of God.”

The Armor of God

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.